Tuesday 10 February 2015

Odderøya Lighthouse in Kristiansand


The Odderøya Lighthouse is located just south of the center of Kristiansand in Vest-Agder. It was created in 1832 and was decommissioned in 1984. It is protected under the Cultural Heritage Act.
The lighthouse is open on Sundays to the public and occasionally there is free coffee and muffins available to visitors. 

The Lighthouse keeper
I took my son with me one Sunday in January in ideal conditions. The sun was shining and there was no wind. That day was actually a new record for the lighthouse with over 200 entries into the guestbook.

We met Lars Verket who is a very friendly man with a wealth of knowledge about the light house. He gave us a quick tour of the premises with some stories. Lars is a keen kayaker and has actually written a book about his paddle pilgrimage of 1500 kilometres along the coast of Norway.

He is also a fantastic photographer and has taken thousands of pictures of Norway's nature.

History of Odderøya Lighthouse


The lighthouse was built simultaneously with two other light houses to cover the entrance into Kristiansand from the sea. The other lighthouses are Oksøy lighthouse and Grønningen lighthouse.
The lighthouse building is a wooden construction and there is a fog bell hanging on a tree in front of the building. The lighthouse facility includes an attendant's house, outbuildings boathouse and landing. The buildings, which are mainly from 1874, are well preserved. 

Do not forget to sign the Odderøya Lighthouse guestbook!

Adam @ Visit Sørlandet 


Monday 2 February 2015

100 kroner meals in Kristiansand

As a foreigner, eating out in Kristiansand was a little out of my reach, but when I moved here permanently, I made it a point to try different restaurants in Kristiansand. 

When I say a little out of reach I refer to the Australian dollar or British Pound against the Norwegian kroner. Back then, the Aussie dollar did not get you very far.
A quick picture before the fun began
But, after living here and earning local currency, things change and a dinner out with the wife is an important thing to do. After all, a happy wife = a happy life...
(Do not tell her I wrote this because we should go out for dinner more often!)

There is a large variety of restaurants and food on offer; Mexican, Indian, Chinese, Sushi, vegetarian, international and of course Norwegian food.
Enough to fill up the biggest of eaters
Prices do vary from place to place, but the food quality is very good.
Some choose to use a knife and fork to eat a hamburger.
Once a year, the city launches a 100 kroner for meal offer and in 2015, it is from Monday the 2nd of February to Sunday the 8th of February.
Spise 100 logo
Some of the meals include salmon, cod, lobster, sushi, hamburger, pizza, ribs and steak from restaurants such as: Bølgen & Moi, Patricks Pub & Restaurant, the local butcher Sorensen, Jonas B. Gundersen and Gastro pub.
Yes, I was hungry and finished first!
Some work colleagues and I decided to take advantage of the offer at a restaurant called "Hos Naboen". The special here is called a "Viltburger" which is a fantastic hamburger with meat from moose and/or deer. It was served with french fries.
Great service with a smile.
Normally the hamburger is about 150 kroner, so it is a very good deal. The restaurant was packed full of people as it will be for the rest of the week.

We were all very satisfied with the meal and will of course will be back.

Take advantage of the offer and you can find out more information about the Spis for 100 Kristiansand here. Also keep an eye on the site and its facebook page, so you know when they  have this special offer.

Cheers and enjoy!
Adam
Visit Sørlandet